It will be April before a failed pump at Winchester Municipal Utilities’ river pump station will be replaced, but officials say there is no threat or danger to customers in the meantime.
During the WMU¿commission meeting Thursday night, WMU¿General Manager Mike Flynn said the pump failed in January. Contractors determined that the inner parts of the pump were beyond repair. A new pump, which should be ready by April, will cost approximately $200,000. The pump was one of two at the station, and the replacement was declared an emergency situation, he said.
WMU’s insurance broker, Jeff Truitt, spoke to the commission about employee health insurance for the coming year.
Truitt provided a presentation on the WMU employee benefits that are to be renewed April 1. Flynn said the commissioners will vote on insurance during the March 7 meeting.
United Healthcare and Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield both presented to Truitt’s company their best offers for WMU employees. Truitt chose to stay with Anthem for WMU, as they provided a rate cap and United Healthcare did not. Humana and Bluegrass Family Health declined to quote due to employee medical conditions.
The original renewal increase was 14.9 percent, however Anthem negotiated only a 7.4 percent increase with a 15 percent renewal cap for 2014. This has averaged at a 5.3 percent increase over the last ten years.
The recommendations from Truitt’s company for WMU are to renew with Anthem for medical insurance and renew without an increase with Delta Dental, renew with CINDA for life, voluntary life, short and long-term disability insurances, and renew with Allstate for the major medical complement.
The commission also announced that the completion date for the Lower Howard’s Creek wastewater plant project is May 24.
In other business:
— The commission passed a motion to consider design and construction approval for water system improvements at a property on the bypass.
— The commission passed a motion to consider a reduction of a retainage with Bel-Air Sanitary Improvements.
— The commission passed a motion to consider a product meter for water use at Apollo Oil.
Contact Kendall at ksparks@winchestersun.com.
